"Did he teach you that?" Jaelan demanded.

"Who?" she asked, then realized whom he meant. "No."

"Who did?"

"Women talk, warrior. Just as men do."

"No woman taught you how to use your mouth to such advantage."

His stony stare annoyed her. "Why are you asking me this? You possess me as no man ever has or ever will, yet you don't trust me?"

"I have yet to do any possessing, except in my dreams."

"Yet you do not trust me."

"I did not say that."

She put her hands on her hips. "What does that red-haired witch do for you?"

Jaelan waved a dismissive hand. "That is neither here nor--"

"Answer me!" she demanded in a tone that caused him to raise his eyebrows.

For a long moment, he simply stared at her, then shrugged indifferently. "She would come into my quarters with an expression that said she was about to be made to drink a bitter brew. She'd take off her clothes, lie on the bed, and part her legs. She stared at the ceiling, her arms straight at her side."

"What did you do?"

"Free my cock, climb atop her, and get rid of the tension."

Aradia blinked. "That's it? That's all she did?"

"As for as I know, that's all she's capable of doing, at least with me. I didn't care enough to read her thoughts, but it didn't take the abilities of a Shadowlord to know she was enduring it only because she'd been ordered to do so."

"There was no kissing, no--"

"I'd rather put my lips on the ass of a Diabolusian warthog than kiss that venomous bitch."

"You didn't caress her?"

"I had no desire for her, wench. She was a means to an end and that was all. Mating with her was no different than squirting my seed into the chamber pot."

Aradia's blush amused him. He reached out for her, drawing her between his legs. "On the other hand," he said, moving his hands up and down her arms, "I'll take great delight in making love to you."

"When you're able."

He slid his hands to her hips and bunched the wet tunic up her legs in slow increments.

"What are you about, warrior?"

"Turnabout is fair play."

"W...what do you mean?"

His hands gently kneaded her bare thighs. When she repeated her question in a whisper, he shushed her and moved one hand behind her, cupping her right buttock. The other hand he slid between her legs.

She sighed as he rubbed her, the heat of his palm against her nether lips an exquisite torment.

"You are wet, Milady," he cooed.

She gasped as his middle finger slid possessively inside her.

Her groan caused Jaelan to harden. He thrust his finger deeper inside Aradia's slick warmth and watched as she closed her eyes, her tongue darting out to lick her lips.

With infinite care and steady deliberation, he thumbed the hardened pearl nestled in the wiry curls of her vagina. Alternately drawing his middle finger from her womanhood and circling the fleshy triangle that brought panting to accompany her whimpers of pleasure, then pressing into her once more, he felt the tension building within her. She gripped his hair and pulled his mouth to her chest. Through the wet fabric, he found one turgid nipple and claimed it with his teeth.

The muscles of her vagina began to spasm, quickening around his questing finger like a moth fluttering at the globe of a candelabra. Jaelan folded his bride to him, her hands on his naked chest, and lowered his mouth to hers. The kiss was all either of them knew until he drew back, his eyes searching hers.

"I love you," she said, touching his cheek.

He smiled, then eased her away so he could stand. Though his back no longer burned, he felt the lash marks and longed for sleep. He took her hand in his and led her out of the water, asking her to retrieve the robes he saw lying in the doorway. Kaffie must have brought them during their lovemaking.

"Is the pain better, Milord?" Aradia asked.

"Aye," he answered, amused that she seemed to be studiously avoiding looking at his naked body.

She helped him into his robe. "Perhaps you will sleep easier."

He nodded. "With you beside me, I can."

They walked hand in hand back to his quarters, and when the Shadowlord closed the door, two Death Lords moved out of the darkness to stand guard.

As Jaelan and his lady slept, his enemies plotted.

Jahannum sent for his brother, and Gehenna, in turn, sent for the Amazeen princess, careful the summons did not reach the King's ear. Orithia brought her new accomplice, Saahira, to the meeting.

Chapter 3.

"It was Gehenna's doing," Jaelan explained the next morning as he lay on his belly, his head turned toward his bride. "He didn't intend for me to come back from Diabolusia...at least not alive." Aradia had wanted to know how the warrior had wound up a slave in the mines at Amberino. "He had you sent there?" "He had me abducted from Tempest Keep in Virago." "What were you doing there?" "I'd gone to protect my King. Hasani was to sign a trade agreement with the Hesar clan, but when I came up missing, he blamed the Viragonians and went home under heavy guard. The pact was never signed." "Why would he blame the Viragonians?"

"There'd been some discussion about allowing me to accompany the King. They didn't mind him bringing a personal guard, but the Hesars are a strange bunch...they allow no magic-sayers at the Court of the Storms. Hasani insisted and they grudgingly allowed me to come with him. But I was told I couldn't venture inside the Court. That didn't bother me, because it was snowing when we arrived, and I'd never seen snow. It fascinated me. I spent most of the day walking around, catching flakes on my tongue."

Aradia grinned, imagining her serious husband frolicking in snow.

"I was told that Lake Gundersen was beautiful that time of year, that peasants would be skating there. I'd no idea what skating was, and when they explained it to me, I thought they were teasing. I couldn't believe people could actually walk on the water, so I went there to see for myself." He frowned. "I had no idea I was being followed."

"You sensed no danger?"

"The four men trailing me had been given circlets of iron to wear beneath their hoods. The iron blocked their thoughts."

"I'll have to remember that," she teased and smiled at his snort. "Snow is beautiful, isn't it?"

"You've seen it?" he asked, surprised. "When?"

"When I was ten or so. We were on our way to Odess and our ship was blown off course during one of their damnable storms. They were hospitable enough, but we were always on guard."

"You went to the Court?"

"As Defense Queen, my mother was invited as a guest of King Broeland's. I, too, got to see skaters on Lake Gundersen."

"A most remarkable sight..."

"So what happened next?"

"Not used to frigid weather, I got cold," he said. "I started looking for a tavern and found one a quarter of a mile from the lake. I went in and ordered coffee." He stopped when her smile widened. "Aye, they'd never heard of such a thing, but the innkeeper said if I wanted something warm, he'd bring hot buttered rum."

"Oh, my..."

"I saw the four men enter the tavern, but I paid them no mind since I 'picked up' no danger from them. One spoke to the innkeeper, but I had no reason to think anything of it. When the owner brought me the drink, he set down the mug, then left without asking for money. I thought that strange, but the aroma coming from the mug was so enticing, I was more interested in that."

"Oh, warrior!"

"As you can surmise, there was more than just butter and rum in the Prophet-be-damned thing. At first I thought it was the liquor's potency that made me light-headed. I kicked myself for having slurped it like a green youth. But then my tongue went numb, and the lights dimmed. When the men got up from their table and headed toward me, I knew I'd made a mistake." He shifted to a more comfortable position. "I began praying it wasn't a fatal mistake."

"So you wound up in Diabolusia."

"Shackled like one of the tomb-builder's slaves. I fought like a weretiger, but I had no power because of the iron bands on my wrists. Although I gave one man a broken jaw and knocked the front teeth from another, I was taken into the mine and put to work."

"How long were you there before we met?"

He cupped her cheek. "The luckiest day of my life,aziza ."

"Mine, too."

Jaelan's heart thudded. Looking into his bride's eyes, he knew she told the truth. He brought his fingers to his lips, kissed them, then placed the tips against her mouth. "Four years of hell stopped for me that day."

She took his hand and held it to her chest. "Glad to have been of service, Milord."

He lightly scratched his nails along the hollow of her throat.

"Was King Hasani looking for you during that time?" she asked.

"He thought I was dead. That was one of the reasons he didn't sign the trade agreement. He also thought the Viragonians were lying. He may be many things, but a liar he is not, and cannot abide it in others."

"So he was pleasantly surprised when you returned from the dead?"

"I sent word I was among the living when I reached Odess so I wouldn't scare the hell out of King Hasani or Tarsis when I reappeared. 'Lui was with me. When we were ten miles from Abbadon, a column of Death Lords in full battle armor approached, led by Tarsis. I thought the old man was going to break my ribs, he hugged me so tightly."

She grinned. "Did the King give you a hug, too, warrior?"

"Aye, then ordered a national holiday and gave me a hundred acres of land just outside Basaraba for when I retire."

"You didn't want land in Uadjit?" she teased.

He rolled his eyes. "No more than the rotting pecker disease."

She giggled, then frowned as a thought came to her. "Why didn't the King punish Gehenna for what he'd done?"

"I couldn't prove it was Gehenna. But no one hated me--hatesme--as much as he and his foul brother."

"Not even the people of Uadjit?"

"Where would they get money to hire abductors? No, it was Gehenna, and he as much as admitted it about a week after I returned."

"What did he say?"

Jaelan's eyes turned cold. "He asked if I'd enjoyed my stay in Diabolusia. He said it was a shame I'd not ventured into the pits that day, for the water was high and the time had been right for me to make my peace with the Wind."

Aradia drew in a quick breath. "What did you do?"

"What could I do? He's powerful. He has the ear of the King, even though Hasani despises him. The entire might of the Brotherhood is behind him and Jahannum. The King dare not provoke them." A muscle worked in his jaw. "But one day I'll slit that bastard's evil throat, and when I do, I'll rid the world of at least one child molester."

Before she could advise against it, Jaelan rolled onto his back, wincing as savaged flesh came into contact with the bedcovers. Despite his slight intake of breath, the pressure of lying on his wounds did not seem to bother him overly much.

"You are as strong willed as you are stubborn." Aradia sat up in bed, crossing her legs beneath her so she sat parallel to his right side.

Jaelan put his hand on her bare thigh and caressed her. "I intend to complete my husbandly duties this eve, wench, so be prepared." He ran his hand along her flesh. "As soft as a newborn's rump..."

"How many newborn rumps have you stroked?"

He smiled. "Would it surprise you to know I've even diapered one of those rumps?"

Her eyebrow quirked upward. "One of your offspring, Milord?"

He shook his head, then turned his palm up to her, obviously pleased when she took his hand. "She's one of Tarsis' grandchildren. Minerva is her name."

Looking at his strong sword hand, Aradia noticed an odd puckering in the palm. She traced the round shape with her index finger. "What caused this?"

"I've no idea. I've had it all my life."

She lifted his hand to get a better look. "It appears to be a burn...a brand, even."